14 October 2024: Third year Bachelor of Visual Communication Design student Anika Novak was crowned the winner of the 2024 Faculty of Arts and Design Illustrative Typography Car Wrap Competition.
Her attention-grabbing design was inspired by the eco-friendly nature of the fully electric BMW i4 – the car which now features her work.
As she saw it, Ms Novak had two options for delivering a meaningful message about the environment: the common ‘doom and gloom’ take on climate inaction, or one that showcased the optimistic possibilities provided by electric vehicles like the BMW i4. Taking inspiration from the 70's, she transformed the sleek, modern vehicle into a hippie, "flower powered" a psychedelic ride!
“I wanted to show that driving this electric car will save the planet, and our future. The bright, colourful design is a positive reminder of what’s possible, that’s where the inspiration came from for me,” Ms Novak said.
2024 marks the second year of the successful partnership between the University of Canberra’s Faculty of Arts and Design, Canberra BMW and Rojo Customs, which presents students with a practical learning opportunity with a twist.
Serving as an assessable project for design students, the competition provides an exciting opportunity for students to work with real world clients, and the potential to bring their designs to life.
To enter the competition, students receive a design brief and get to work on creating their car wrap ideas. The winning design is then printed on a BMW, and the designer, handed the keys for the weekend.
While she initially had no plans to leave the house this weekend, Ms Novak is reconsidering, given the once-in-life-time personalised luxury vehicle at her disposal – there is one catch though.
“I’m on my L plates, so it will probably be my mum that drives it!” Ms Novak says.
Group Marketing Manager Izi Tanewski said it was a competitive round this year with a number of high-quality submissions for the judging panel to choose from.
"We are thrilled to see such a bold and creative design win the 2024 FAD Illustrative Typography Car Wrap Competition,” Ms Tanewski said.
“Annika’s striking, maximalist design really stands out, pushing the boundaries of what’s traditionally expected from BMW – which is typically known for its more conservative aesthetic.
“I love how her design captures the spirit of Canberra, from the iconic 'Bush Capital' phrase to the use of the Royal Bluebell, our city's emblem."
Courses within the Faculty of Arts and Design have a strong focus on practical application, industry engagement and Work Integrated Learning (WIL). The car wrap competition is just one of the exciting projects available to FAD students throughout their degree.
“Opportunities like this are one of the main reasons I chose to study at èßäAV – you get to work on real world projects,” Ms Novak says.
“This will 100 percent be going into my portfolio!”
Photos by Tyler Cherry